Book 5: Percy Jackson and the Deathly Sword
by twilighter2197
Summary: My version of Book 5. Percy and his friends must go on a quest to find the sword that will beat Kronos. Everyday Percy gets closer to making the final choice. Lots of PERCABETH too, but taking it slow. CHAPTER 8 IS FINALLY UP! And IT IS EDITED! R&R!
1. A Wise Girl Comes To Visit

**I do not own PJO or any of the characters. Rick Riordan does. This story takes place after BOTL. I'll try to update as much as I can, I promise! Enjoy!!**

Chapter 1: A Wise Girl Comes To Visit

"Seaweed Brain! Wake up!" said a familiar voice. I mumbled something really intelligent like, "Mmm, uh gmft" and then turned over. Suddenly I felt a pain in my gut, like I'd been punched. I opened my eyes and I didn't comprehend what I saw.

There was a girl about 15 sitting next to me on my bed with wavy blond hair, and stormy gray eyes. She was wearing little silver owls in her ears, an orange T-shirt, and jeans. Her face looked familiar. Then it hit me. I sat up straight and screamed, "Oh my gods, Annabeth! What in Hades are you doing here? And why did you punch me?"

She grinned. Normally, I would've grinned back. Normally, I would've been _happy _to see her. But right now, I just glared, my sea green eyes filled with hate and anger. And not because she punched me or she woke me up. Annabeth got the wrong idea. "Hey, don't be mad at me, Seaweed Brain! I had to wake you up, didn't I? It's time for school!" She was grinning again.

"You didn't answer my question" I muttered, still glaring. She just laughed and pulled me up. I didn't laugh back. She smiled and left the room to let me get ready. I sighed. Why was she here? _There must be trouble at camp_, I thought. No, that couldn't be true. If it was true, Annabeth wouldn't be in such a good mood, and that would be the first thing she would tell me.

I rubbed my eyes and went to take a shower. I was putting on my shirt when Annabeth knocked. "Gods, Percy! How long do you take for a shower! Come out here, we're going to be late for school!" _We're?_ She was going to school with me? What in Hades? I needed an explanation.

"Go to Tartarus" I cursed, hoping she heard me. I quickly combed my hair and went out into the hall. Annabeth was sitting with my mom on the dinner table, and they were quietly talking. It sounded like Annabeth was explaining something. "Mom? Annabeth? I need an explanation!" I was frustrated. I didn't understand anything that was going on here.

"First you have to get to school. Let's go." Annabeth demanded. She put on her backpack, which was blue with an owl on it, the symbol of her mother, Athena.

"Annabeth, I didn't even have my breakfast." I said coldly.

"You should've thought of that before you took so long getting up and taking a shower", she lectured and walked out the door. I groaned and reluctantly followed her without saying anything.

The bus was waiting outside the building. We got inside and I saw my red-headed nightmare. "Hey Percy! Over here, I saved you a seat!" said my mortal friend, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I walked up to her and grinned.

"Hey Rachel Elizabeth Dare" I said, and sat down next to her, leaving Annabeth to stare at us with a shocked expression. I ignored her. She looked down dejectedly and sat in an empty seat, glowering at the window. "So what's up?" I asked Rachel casually.

She raised an eyebrow. "I should be saying the same thing. Why is Annabeth here?" She didn't ask that in a rude way, but like she was simply curious. I doubted that Annabeth would be that polite about Rachel. I still didn't understand why she hated her so much. It seemed like Rachel knew, but she refused to tell me, always saying that it's not for her to tell, that Annabeth would tell me someday.

I sighed, feeling more confused than ever. "I don't know, Rachel. When I woke up, she was just there. She wouldn't explain anything to me." I said. Rachel nodded and looked out the window, but didn't say anything. I shifted in my seat awkwardly. The silence made me uncomfortable.

"Um, so… how is it going with your parents?" I asked, just trying to avoid the silence.

Rachel's face hardened, and she glared at me. She hadn't told me much about them just that they didn't care about her that much, that she was trying to make things better. After that, no matter how much I tried, she wouldn't say anything else. I realized I really didn't know much about Rachel, just 

the basics, even after she went on the quest with me, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson in the labyrinth. So much for being a "close friend". Rachel sighed. "Percy, I don't want to talk about it, okay? Why do you keep pressing me?" she snapped.

Reluctantly, I told her the truth, figuring I owed it to her. "Look, Rachel… look, I just want you to know that you can trust me. And I'm curious."

Rachel glared at me. "If you think I don't trust you, then you're wrong. And I don't think it's curiosity, I think it's nosiness. Look, I just don't want to talk about it, not to you, not to anyone. Is it a crime to have secrets?" I flushed. Rachel had never spoken to me or anyone in such an angry way. She just seemed so… laid back. Something must be really wrong.

The rest of the bus ride was in silence. When we reached Goode High School, I walked straight to my locker. I felt someone put their hands on my shoulder, and turn me to face them. I was looking at Annabeth.

"Percy, I don't know what your problem is. Why are you so mad at me?" she asked. Behind the anger and annoyance, I knew there was hurt.

"First tell me why you're here" I said. Annabeth nodded.

"I had too many monster attacks all this time, Percy. Way too many. But my dad, he—" her voice broke a little. "He wasn't mad at me. Neither was my stepmom. They said if this wasn't a safe place for me, then… they would move. I couldn't believe it. And now… now we're living in Manhattan. In your building, same floor, two apartments away", she said, smiling. When I didn't say anything, she continued on. "Now it's your turn. Why are you so mad at—" I didn't let her finish.

"Oh, why am I mad at you?" I yelled furiously, my temper rising. "I don't know Annabeth, maybe it's because of the last time we saw each other. Maybe it's because, the whole time, you never made an attempt to contact me, no IM, no phone call. Maybe it's because every time I tried to talk to you, you acted like you have to do something. Maybe it's because you were ignoring me this whole time for Zeus knows what reason!" Thunder rumbled in the sky as I said this. I sighed. "Sorry, even _Zeus_ doesn't know."

I saw that the expression on Annabeth's face changing- from shock, to confusion, to hurt. "Percy, I—I don't—I didn't mean to…" she trailed off, not sure what she was going to say. "Look, Percy, I just… You don't understand, I—"

"Save it, Annabeth." With that, I walked to my first class. Part of me didn't want to hurt her like this. But another part of me was really mad at her, and that part was way too proud. I guess there's something to say for being a Son of the Sea God. The _proud_ Sea God, that is.

That day was pretty miserable. I was pretty much not talking to Rachel or Annabeth, and those were about the only friends I had in school. When I was about to leave, Rachel caught up with me.

"Hey, um Percy? I… look, I'm sorry about—" she started. Then she suddenly froze. She pointed to two guys sitting on a bench outside of Goode. They were grinning wickedly at us. Instantly, I knew why Rachel was so scared. At that moment, Annabeth came out. I didn't want to talk to her, but I knew I had to.

"Annabeth! Those two guys on the bench! They're monsters!" I yelled. First she glared at me, and then she seemed to realize what I had said. Her eyes turned hard.

"Come on. Let's fight them. Mortal Girl" –I winced when she called Rachel that name—"you have to go inside. _Now._" Annabeth sounded like she had a plan. I took a deep breath.

Suddenly, the boys changed into monsters. I didn't even know what kind. They had the upper body of a huge lizard, with a face like a human's, with fangs. Their lower body was the weirdest. It had the paws of a lion, and the legs of a… well, a furry animal, I didn't know which. I had a feeling I was looking at a very, very old monster.

"Annabeth? What kinds of monsters are those?" I asked her. She didn't answer. I had a feeling that she didn't know. The monsters walked up to us.

"Perseus Jackson", one of them spat. "Your time has come, little hero. You shall serve the Titan Lord, or you shall die. You may pick which. The same goes for you, Daughter of Athena. This is your last chance. The Titan Lord himself has sent us,the Kings of Monsters, to capture you. Now surrender!"

I smirked. "I'd rather die. Of course, that doesn't mean I will. I think it's you that will", I said arrogantly, in a smug voice that I never thought I had. That wasn't exactly the smartest thing to say to deathly monsters with claws and fangs. The one that spoke growled and pinned me to the ground, his claws on my feet and fangs at my throat. I tried to get the Riptide out of my pockets, but my hands were pinned. I struggled to get up but couldn't do anything.

I was surprised the other monster didn't get Annabeth yet. He just stood there, looking bored. I was guessing if Annabeth tried to do anything, he would attack. I looked her in the eye, and she nodded.

"I… I agree to join the titans. I'd rather do that than die. I'm sorry, Percy. I value my life too much", Annabeth buffed. She was a really bad actress, but I still hoped the monsters bought it. They were strong, they were deathly, but they weren't exactly "smart". I tried hard not to smile, what with the monster on me that basically spelt death. The other monster sneered.

"See, Perseus Jackson? Your friend here, or _former_ friend, shall I say, has some sense." He told me smugly. While he was talking to me, Annabeth pulled out her knife. I nodded, and then she attacked.

She almost hit the monster's throat, but he blocked it just in time. He let out a low growl then started fighting with her like crazy. Good thing she was really good with her knife, because the monster was really, really good too. Once, when the monster was on the ground, she quickly took out her Yankees invisibility hat out of her bag, and put it on. Instantly, she was gone. The monster seemed a little dazed, and Annabeth took the advantage of that. She slashed her knife right in his stomach, and he turned to ashes.

All this time they were fighting, I wondered why the monster that was on top of me hadn't killed me yet. As if he had read my mind, conveniently, he said, "Oh, I have only spared you because I wanted you to see your friend die. But, unfortunately she didn't. Now, she shall see _you_ die!" And with that, he threw his fangs at my throat, and just as I was about to suffer from a very painful death, the monsters eyes bulged like he just saw something impossible, like a winged horse, which wasn't exactly impossible in the Greek world. He, like the other one, turned into ashes, too, and I saw Annabeth's knife was in his stomach. Suddenly I was aware of all the mortals around us. I wondered what they were seeing, but if they saw anything strange through the Mist, they didn't let on.

Annabeth helped me up and glared at me. "I… uh. Sorry I didn't really help." I apologized, trying to sound sincere. The truth was, I wasn't. I was still too mad at her. Annabeth sighed and pursed her lips. "Percy, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to… I… I was just feeling really confused about, just, everything. And… and I was scared—I mean, the end of the world isn't far away Percy, I'm scared for you—for everyone. I—", she drawled on. She stopped when she saw me rolling my eyes.

"Are you done, Wise Girl?" I asked her. She nodded, looking slightly confused. Then I smiled, and gave her a hug. When I pulled away, she grinned.

"So… we're cool now?" she asked me, already knowing the answer. I laughed, and together, since the bus was gone, we walked to back to our building.


	2. I Dance To My Doom

**I do not own PJO or any of the characters. Rick Riordan does. **

**Hey guys, I'm really, really sorry about the huge delay for the chapter. I was busy replying to reviews, I had writer's block, and I was lazy :P After this chapter is when it really gets good. This chapter is sorta long, sorry about that! Keep the reviews coming, I really appreciate them :D**

* * *

Chapter 2: I Dance To My Doom

The rest of the afternoon Annabeth stayed at my apartment, and she was basically filling me in on everything that happened since we last met, mostly the monsters that attacked. So far we were up to 5 Laistrygonians, 3 _empousai_, 2 Sphinx, 1 Minotaur (obviously, since there _was_ only one), 4 Hydras, and a few very old monsters that even Annabeth didn't know. After she was done, I stared at her, my mouth hanging open.

"What?" she asked when she noticed me staring.

"What do you mean _what?_ How is it even POSSIBLE for someone to have that many monster attacks!" I was freaked out. Things must be really bad.

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I-I don't know, Percy. The old monsters are awakening, and they were all trapped in either San Francisco, or Los Angeles. Both of them are very, very dangerous places to live, even for mortals."

"Great" I muttered under my breath. "That's just the news I wanted to hear when my best friend comes to visit me after months." Annabeth heard me and smiled, but her face was yet not relaxed, and her eyes were filled with worry.

"Percy, it's going to be okay. Until the final battle, we'll figure something out" she promised, but I could tell she didn't believe it herself. _Final battle. Final battle. Final battle._ Her words echoed in my mind again and again. A thought suddenly came to my mind. I made a mental note to talk about it to Chiron when we were at camp.

Suddenly I heard the door slam and I jumped. I turned and saw my mom walking through the door. She smiled, and her smile was warm, but I could see that something was worrying her.

"Hi Percy. Hello Annabeth. You kids didn't mind being home alone for a few hours, did you?" she asked. I rolled my eyes. I knew she was worried about me, but she was _so_ overdoing it.

"Mom, I'm almost _16_. I can stay home alone; I don't need you to be worried about me every minute. Besides, I'm a _demigod_. Mortal criminals are the last thing on my mind right now" I said, totally and completely exasperated. My mom had a hurt look in her eyes. That immediately made me feel guilty.

"I know Percy, I know. I'm just… really worried. And maybe I _wasn't_ talking about mortals" she pointed out, and sat down on the couch next to me. "So, how was school? You only have one month left! And then there's the end-of-the-school-year dance. You _are_ going right?" She asked, as she eyed me and Annabeth, as if she knew something we didn't.

I sighed. Typical Mom. "To answer your first question, school was… not so great." I told her about the monster attacks.

My mom gasped. "Oh, honey. That's terrible. You _are_ alright, aren't you? And you Annabeth?" she asked with unnecessary concern. I rolled my eyes my eyes again.

"Mom, I'm _fine_" I assured her.

"So am I, Mrs. Jackson. You have nothing to worry about. I'll keep your son safe. I did this time, didn't I? Percy didn't even do anything." Annabeth promised, smirking at me. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Hey, it's not my fault! The monster took me by surprise. Besides, this monster was so darn strong! I couldn't even move, he had pinned me to the ground" I said defensively. But even then, I felt guilty. I hadn't helped Annabeth at all. I was stronger than that, and we both knew it.

My mother gave me a warning look, and I gave her a look that said _what did I do?_ "Alright, you two. I'm sure you will keep him safe, Annabeth, and Percy, I'm sure you can fight well too. Now Percy, what about my second question?" She had a strange twinkle in her eye. Oh man.

"Mom, of course I'm going to the dance. I _have_ to. It's mandatory. Unless…" I smiled as a sudden thought came to me. "Unless, I can pretend I'm sick. I mean, come on Mom. I have other, _much_ more important things to worry about. This dance isn't a big deal."

My mom raised her eyebrows. She hadn't been tricked after all. "Percy, don't try that with me. Just because you're a half-blood doesn't mean you have to miss out on human experiences." I knew she probably wouldn't change her mind, but I didn't want to let this drop just yet.

"But Mom, I'm not missing any human experience. Half-blood or not, I wouldn't have gone to this _dance_ either. Ugh, a _dance_." I scoffed at the word. I was a total klutz and completely clumsy. Basically, I just can't dance.

"Percy, you are going. What about you Annabeth? Are you going?" My mom had a strange tone to her voice, like what she said implied something else. Annabeth shifted awkwardly.

"I-I don't really know, Mrs. Jackson. I guess. My dad, like you, is forcing me to go. I swear that man has gone CRAZY. I almost miss the days when he _didn't_ care about me" she joked. I was surprised she was joking about that. It was usually a sensitive subject for her. "Dance or not, though, I'm _not _dancing _with_ someone" she said, making a face.

"Neither am I" I muttered, turning red, wondering if my mom even thought about _that_. Was that why she was so smug? My mom smiled again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately, despite the current position everyone—and the world, was in.

A sudden thought came to me. "Annabeth? Why did you join school here anyway? There is only one month left. What's the point?" I asked. It sounded kind of stupid, joining when there was barely a month left.

Annabeth sighed, rolling her eyes. I knew, somehow, that she wasn't rolling them at me. "Ask my dad, Percy. " I didn't say anything. Annabeth stood up. "I should get going, Seaweed Brain. We both have homework, and I have to yet unpack everything. I'll see you in school. I'll see you later Mrs. Jackson" she said.

I didn't want her to leave but I said, "Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Wise Girl."

My mom nodded. "See you, Annabeth. Come soon. Of course, you will be coming a lot now since you live just 3 apartments away."

Annabeth grinned. "Yes, Mrs. Jackson. I will. Bye!" She glanced at me one more time with an expression I didn't understand, and with that, she walked out of the door and left.

I sighed. My mom stood up. "Percy, you should start on your homework" she told me.

I nodded. "I will, Mom. Just let me make a phone call first." She gave me a strange look, but left me alone and went to the kitchen. I walked over to the phone and dialed Rachel's number. My hands trembled, nervous from what I was about to do. The phone started ringing. Part of me hoped that she didn't pick up.

"Hello?" said a female voice on the other end. It wasn't Rachel's.

"Um, hi. Is… is, uh, Rachel there?" I asked. I hoped she wasn't going to call the cops or something.

"Yes. Who is this and what do you want with her?" the female voice, probably her mom, asked.

"I…" I didn't know what to say. It was weird though, I called Rachel all the time, and _Rachel_ always picked up. I never had to deal with this. "I… I'm Percy, Rachel's friend. I just want to talk to her"

"Of course. RACHEL! SOME BOY NAMED PERCY WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!" the female voice screamed, and nearly made me deaf.

"It's Percy?" a muffled voice asked on the other side. "Mom, give me the phone." I heard another faint sound. "Percy?" I recognized the voice immediately.

"Rachel! Uh, hey"

"Hey. Why did you call?"

"Um, about today… thanks. And, um. You… you're okay, right?"

"Hey, no problem. It's becoming a full-time job for me. And I'm fine Percy, I ran inside when Annabeth told me to. I'm fine. " She sounded annoyed, though I couldn't figure out why.

"Okay, well… I'll see you tomorrow in school." Rachel didn't say anything. It took me a few moments to figure out that she had hung up.

* * *

The next day, I was at Goode High School, opening my locker when someone tapped me on my shoulder. I turned and found myself face to face with Robert Goodman. He was a pretty popular guy. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and most people would call him good looking, but his nose was huge, and his voice was all weird and deep. It was a strange combination. "Hey. It's Percy, right?"

"Yeah, I—" Goodman didn't let me finish.

"You're going to the dance, right? With who?" he asked, sort of absentmindedly. I didn't get why this stranger was asking me this. I didn't get how that related to anything.

"Yeah, I'm going, but I'm not going _with_ anyone. Why?" Why would he want to know? He didn't even _seem_ curious.

He looked around as if afraid someone was listening. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable."I, well… I—uh, I was just… I was just… just, wondering. Bye!" he stammered, and then literally ran to his next class. _Ooo-kay, that was extremely strange_, I thought. I struggled to hold all of my books and walked to my next class.

"Seaweed Brain! Wait up!" said a voice that I was sure belonged to Annabeth.

"Hey Annabeth", I said without looking behind me. Suddenly, Annabeth was beside me.

"Percy, I need to talk to you. I have bad news. It's about Typhon. I don't know exactly what happened, but… I think he has escaped" Annabeth said, terribly serious.

I felt as if a knife had just gone through my chest. For a moment I couldn't say anything. Then I finally came back to reality. "Wh-what?" I managed.

"I know it's hard to believe but… Well, even I'm not exactly sure. I just heard some people talking, and my mom was acting really weird when I talked to her yesterday" Annabeth told me. Well, at least it might not be true.

"Annabeth, Typhon is huge! What are we going to do?" I asked, freaking out. Typhon could crush the whole of Manhattan just by walking around in it.

"I-I don't know Percy. Well, the summer solstice is in a few weeks. I'm sure a lot of campers will be there. We'll decide something." A few weeks was more than enough time to have him travel here and crush the city. And Olympus. "I don't know if Typhon has even really escaped. So, just, don't worry okay?" she added, even though she was plenty worried. I could sense her fear; I could see it in her eyes.

"Annabeth, I can't _not_ worry. I have a big enough reason to worry. Don't tell me, or anyone, not to worry" I said.

Annabeth sighed. "Okay, I guess you're right. Oh, and Percy, I won't be here for the rest of the week. I'll be at the dance though. Athena wants to meet with me. So does Chiron. I don't know about what exactly. I'll talk to you at the dance about it" she said. I stared at her like she was crazy.

"Okay, let me try to figure this out. You enter school when there's only _one month_ left, and you would be better off training at camp. Then, you decide to miss one week of school, and come back just for a dance? What in Hades is wrong with you, Annabeth?"

Annabeth glared me. "It's not like I have a choice!" she snapped. "Besides, I _told_ you, my DAD wanted me to go to school, okay?" She was _trying_ hard to sound angry, but I could tell she was embarrassed.

I laughed. "Alright, alright. I was just joking. But… it is a bit whack." I winced at how stupid and lame that word sounded. Annabeth grinned, waved, and then walked to her first class. I sighed. It sucked that me and Annabeth had absolutely no classes together. Rachel had a few with me, but I was scared to meet her after yesterday's phone call.

"Hey, Percy." A voice said. I turned around and found Rachel looking at me with a tired expression. It looked like she hadn't slept a wink, and her voice was hoarse.

"Rachel! Are you okay? You look terrible." I told her in a worried voice. Rachel stiffened but didn't say anything.

"Rachel?" I asked. I was really getting worried about her now. There was something important she wasn't telling me, and I had a feeling it was nothing that was related to my _other_ life. It hurt to think that my _other_ life was my _real_ life, and that would never change. I sighed.

"I-I'm fine, Percy. I'm just… I'm just having some trouble with my parents. That's why I was… I was in a, um, bad mood yesterday on the phone. Sorry about that" she apologized.

I nodded. "It's fine. I was wondering what happened. You… you want to talk about it?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, not right now. Let's just get to class." I nodded again and we went to class.

* * *

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. Rachel didn't give me a chance to ask any questions about what was going on, and I barely saw Annabeth. Annabeth, Rachel, and I were the only ones sitting at our lunch table, and even then we didn't talk that much. Annabeth mostly just glared at Rachel. I found that kind of funny, but I was still wondering why she didn't like Rachel.

At the end of the day, Annabeth found me as I was walking to the bus with Rachel. She gave Rachel a cold look, and then turned her attention to me. "Percy, I'll see you Friday, at the dance, okay? My mom is sending some, er, special transportation." I nodded.

"Alright, Wise Girl. I'll see you Friday." I smiled at her, and she smiled back. Then she took off. Rachel looked uncomfortable.

As we got on to the bus, I decided we had delayed enough. "Okay, Rachel. What's going on?" I asked her, nervous for the answer. We both knew exactly what I was talking about. Rachel stiffened and started to walk away, but I held her, holding her with one hand tight around her arm. "Rachel, come on!" I warned. My face felt hot. This seemed a bit dramatic, but she was really pushing it now. She told me she'd tell me, and I didn't see a reason why she shouldn't.

Rachel glared at me. "Not _now_, Percy" she hissed, gritting her teeth. I had never seen her so furious.

I set my jaw, and gave her a cold look, or I tried to, at least. I wasn't really that mad, just a bit annoyed, and curious. I wanted to know. "No. Now" I said in a flat but hard voice. She kept glaring at me until someone told us to move and we had no choice but to sit down next to each other. None of us said anything.

After about 10 minutes, I sighed. "Rachel. Why don't you want to tell me?" I asked her, nervous, again, for the answer.

It was another 5 minutes before Rachel answered. "It's personal, Percy."

"Tell me." I said. I was surprised when she sighed, ad gave in so easily.

"We… we got into a fight, Percy. My dad wants to move, and of course, my mom is going right along with him. It makes no difference to them how I feel. And I feel horrible. I _do not_ want to move, not again." Then she covered her mouth as if she had given away a secret.

I felt dizzy. "Wait, what? You… I mean—what do you mean _again_?" How many times had she moved before? Before she could answer her stop came, and she took advantage of that. She looked at me with an expression that was almost… pain. "Rachel—" I started.

"I'll talk to you later, okay? I'll explain everything. I promise." I started to protest, but she was gone. I sighed and glowered out the window.

* * *

Wednesday and Thursday went by quickly, without Annabeth there and with Rachel not talking to me. For once, school was all about schoolwork. The thought annoyed me.

I'd tried to approach Rachel in many ways, but she just stammered and walked away. It was clear- she was avoiding me, or trying to. She had broken her promise twice now; she had promised she would explain everything. Twice.

At the end of the school day on Friday, the day of the dance, I caught up with Rachel. I put my hands on her shoulders and, almost harshly, turned her to face me, and glared deep into her eyes. Her expression bothered me. She looked almost… frightened.

"Aw, Rachel, come on! This isn't fair. Stop avoiding me like this!" I tried to make a joke of the whole thing, but it didn't work.

"You really want to know? Fine, but you asked for it, okay?" she snapped. "I move around. A lot. Wherever my dad's _burning_ all this 'insignificant' land" – she winced at the words burning and insignificant—"I have to move. And now it's happening again. But I can't stand it anymore. Not when I have friends here. Not when I finally…" she trailed off. I don't know if I was imagining things, but I though she turned a little red, not from embarrassment, but from anger.

For a while I couldn't say anything. Finally, I managed to say, "You're moving… now?" We needed her right now. There were too many monsters around. It was weird how I only thought of the monsters and not _her_ pain—it made me feel selfish, but it didn't even occur to me. Rachel didn't seem to hear me. "Rachel?" I said, concern in my voice. She seemed to come back to life.

"Yeah—I… I don't know, Percy. They said if I don't want to go with them, then I can"—her expression turned to sadness and hurt—"I can… _move out_" she winced at the words. I stared at her. I didn't get why she cared _so_ much, though. Her parents didn't care about her—that something a lot of demigods had to deal with. It was nothing new.

"I'm sorry" I whispered. I could barely hear my own voice.

She nodded. "So am I. I'll be moving this Saturday, if I do. At least I'll see you at the dance. After that, I don't know…" She didn't finish. I nodded.

"See you." And then I was gone.

* * *

I groaned. "Where is she?" I hissed at Rachel. "You said she told you she'd be here at eight! It's 8:30" I was at the dance, wearing formal clothes that were basically torture. My mom had insisted on a suit, much to my horror, but I said absolutely not, so she forced me to wear a white formal collared shirt and beige pants. I guess I _did_ look sort of good, but not good enough that would make me any less angry at my mom.

I looked at Rachel one more time. She was wearing her usually jeans and a top. She was never formal. Her clothes were not casual, though. Her silver top was sparkly, and her jeans were skinny and almost black. Her hair was properly combed, and she looked really good. It didn't have me tongue-tied though, thank the gods.

I sighed when Rachel didn't answer me. I didn't know when Annabeth had the chance to meet _her_ and not _me_, when I was living three apartments away from her. Whenever I went there, she wasn't home. Something was up, that much I knew.

I felt someone tap my arm. "Percy!" Rachel exclaimed suddenly. I saw what she was pointing at and my jaw dropped. I forgot who I was, I forgot where I was. All I could see was a girl. A girl who looked like a goddess. She was wearing a white silk dress that stopped below her knees. She had blow-dried blond hair that shined and curled up at the ends. Her eyes were a stormy, brilliant gray. She was wearing the perfect make-up, bringing out her best features. She looked absolutely stunning. It didn't take me long to figure out who it was. She was walking toward me and Rachel.

She stopped just in front of us, glaring at Rachel. Then she turned to me and smiled wryly. "Hey, Seaweed Brain."

I didn't say anything. I was still in a daze, and my mouth was still hanging open. Rachel stifled a giggle. Annabeth frowned. "Is he okay?" She seemed genuinely concerned. She obviously didn't get what I was thinking which surprised, and relieved, me. So much for being a _wise_ daughter of Athena.

Rachel laughed. "Oh, he's fine. He's just tongue-tied. Who wouldn't be; you look great!" Rachel complimented. I glared at her, and turned a bit red. Rachel just laughed again.

"Percy?" Annabeth eyed me carefully, like trying to figure out what was wrong with me. She didn't seem to believe Rachel, thank the gods. The next thing out of my mouth just flew out.

"Annabeth! I mean… is that… is that _you_?" I questioned her. Rachel laughed again, and Annabeth turned pink and glared at me.

"Of course it's me, you _idiot!_" she snapped. I didn't get why she was so angry. I backed away. "I know, I know. I look horrible. Make fun. My stepmother forced me into this dress, and _makeup!_ Ugh! It was torture!" She ranted on.

"Yeah. _Beautiful_ torture" I muttered, low enough for only me to hear. But Rachel heard me and smirked as I turned a deep shade of red.

"Annabeth, you don't look horrible. You look great, seriously" Rachel told her quietly. Annabeth stared at her, but said nothing. It was kind of creepy. I sighed.

"Let's just get this stupid dance _over_ with" I said, exasperated. Rachel didn't say anything, and Annabeth just nodded in agreement. "I don't get the point of being here. It's not like I'm dancing either. What was my mom _thinking?_" I growled. After half an hour, we were standing in the same place, same position, not even talking.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked quietly, hesitantly. I looked up in response. "As long as we're here… you, uh, want to dance? To pass the time?" Rachel's face was smug. I nodded, unable to speak.

Once we were on the dance floor, I had no idea what to do. I looked at other people around me. They were dancing casually. I sighed in relief. Then, suddenly, the music stopped. The song had come to an end. Another song took its place, a much slower, sadder one. I stomped my foot in frustration.

"Ugh! Why does it _have_ to be a slow dance, once we come over?! Ugh, ugh, UGH!" I complained. Annabeth glared at me.

"Do you want to dance or _not_?" she hissed.

"Not" I muttered. But she didn't hear me. I sighed and hesitantly put my trembling hands on her waist. She put her hands on my shoulders, her expression grim. We started dancing, slowly, hesitating at each movement. We were both looking at the ground. Suddenly Annabeth grinned.

"You haven't got any better than the last time we danced, Seaweed Brain." She pointed out. I grinned right back at her.

"I know" I laughed. The dancing seemed to be getting more natural, the tension slipping away. I tried to find Rachel. She was sitting on a chair, smiling so widely at us that I was surprised her mouth didn't hurt. Then again, I didn't know that. Rachel got up and mouthed the words _fresh air_. I just blinked as she walked out the door.

Both I and Annabeth were quiet for a while. "Annabeth?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?" she asked, oblivious to the difference in my tone.

"You, uh, look really cool tonight. I mean, who would've thought I could find Annabeth Chase wearing a dress and _make-up!_" I complimented and teased her, smirking just a bit. Annabeth shot me a dirty look.

"Oh, shut up" she snapped. I laughed and then turned serious again.

"But, seriously. You look really great." A tiny smile formed on Annabeth's tomato red face, then disappeared again. She was clearly uncomfortable. I frowned.

"Um, thanks. So, uh… where is Rachel?" she asked quickly. Obviously, she was trying to change the subject. I sighed and jerked my head toward the door. Annabeth understood, and nodded. More silence.

"Hey guys" a familiar voice said. Annabeth and I both jumped and turned, only to see Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades, with a little smirk on his face. He had grown a few inches taller. Besides that, he was the same as ever. He had shaggy black hair, almost touching his shoulders and pale skin. His eyes were coal black and he was still very thin.

"Oh my gods, Nico! Don't scare us like that!" Annabeth screamed. Nico grinned. I patted him on the back.

"Nico, hey. What are you doing here? At this _dance_!" I wondered. What would Nico want? He looked at me carefully.

"Percy? Have you thought about my offer yet?" he asked. I shook my head sheepishly. Nico glowered at me. "Well think fast, Percy! There's not enough time!"

Annabeth looked confused. "What… what offer? What do you mean, Nico?" None of answered her. I looked at the ground. I knew Annabeth wouldn't like Nico's "offer". I knew Nico didn't like it much either.

"Percy!" a voice suddenly screamed. It was Rachel's. I didn't see her anywhere though; it was like a muffled scream. Then suddenly she was beside me. Her face was slightly bleeding, and she was out of breath. "Monsters! Army! HUGE! Outside, now! Have to fight… have to…" she murmured. And then, she fainted.

* * *

**Haha, a cliff-hanger! Again, sorry for the huge chapter, and the delay. The next chapter will be up sooner than this. It will be called "We Battle An Army Of Nasties". Please review!**


	3. I Battle An Army Of Nasties

**I don't own PJO. Rick Riordan does.**

**Tell me how you like the chapter! The next one will take a lot of time because there's a lot to think about, and a lot to plan. I don't have the whole story in mind yet. Well, read and review, please!! **

Chapter 3: I Battle An Army Of Nasties

For I minute I just stared at Rachel. Then, it dawned on me what Rachel had said. My eyes got wide. I was about say, or _scream_, something, but Annabeth beat me to the punch.

"Percy! Wh-what does she mean there's an army outside?!" Annabeth scream-asked. I didn't say anything.

"Percy! Did you hear what she _said?_ Do you _understand?_ There's an army of monsters outside! We have to fight! Come _on!_" Nico urged. His eyes were filled with panic. I came back to earth.

"No" I said grimly. "We can't fight." I said it with confidence I never even thought I had. Nico and Annabeth looked at me as if I was crazy, but _they_ were the ones that were crazy. I put my arms on Annabeth's shoulder and shook her a bit. "Annabeth! Nico! Come back to earth! Do you think we can fight off an entire army of monsters? Just three of us? And according to Rachel, it's huge."

"We can fight" Annabeth insisted. I sighed and shook my head.

"I always told myself that your pride would kill us someday, and that day has come, Annabeth Chase" I teased. Annabeth stuck her tongue out at me, and then got serious again.

"Percy… what do we do?" she asked me. I was confused; _Annabeth_ was usually the one thinking of the plans. She looked at me expectantly. I sighed.

"Annabeth, listen to me. You take Rachel and run for camp, okay? You have to leave. Nico and I will take care of the army" I said as Nico and Annabeth both glared at me.

"Percy, two of us can't fight the army" Nico said.

"Percy! Are you crazy? Do you think I'll leave you—I mean, both of you to fight for yourselves and _die_? I won't let that happen, Percy! Rachel will be fine here. I'm pretty sure the army won't come inside here!" Annabeth shrieked. _Okay_, I thought. _So nobody likes my idea._

I glared at Annabeth until her gaze met my eyes. "Will you guys just listen? Nico, we're _not_ going to fight the army. Well, we will but with our powers. I'm going to use water, and Nico, you'll have to raise the dead and monsters and order them to fight us, okay? And Annabeth, children of Athena don't have any special _powers_. You can't _fight_ this army. So you have to go to camp. Besides, someone needs to take Rachel, and you have your invisibility cap. Use it!" I saw Nico's face thinking about the plan, suspicious at first, then deciding that it might work. I smiled in satisfaction. Of course, Annabeth was a whole different story. She glared at me, and her glare was starting to scare me.

"Percy Jackson, listen to me. I will _not_ leave you here to die! I will fight with you, and you will _not_ protest!" she demanded in a hard voice, but her voice was shaky, and I could tell she was close to tears from worry. I rolled my eyes.

"Annabeth, we're doing this _my_ way for once. Just go!" I told her, getting irritated. She glowered at me, but then her expression softened, and I could tell she had given in. Annabeth nodded and then patted Nico's head.

"Be careful, Nico. Please." She pleaded. Then she turned and looked at me. Her hand touched my face and she was trembling. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything was going to be okay, but I didn't know how. I didn't believe it much myself. "Just be careful, Seaweed Brain. And… don't die" she said, and her voice broke at the last word. She blinked back tears. I removed her hand from my face and nodded awkwardly. She managed a smile. She put her invisibility cap on and suddenly Rachel disappeared, too. I felt a gust of wind, and I knew they were gone. I was glad no mortals were paying attention to us, or this might've been a problem.

"Come on, Nico. Let's take a look at this army" I said, my voice filled with fake confidence. The truth was, I was scared to death. How big _was_ this army? Would Nico and I be able to fight it even with our powers? And – I forced myself to think the question—was _Kronos_ himself leading this army? That thought scared me worse than the others. If he was there, the whole camp together didn't have a chance.

Nico nodded, and we went outside.

I didn't expect to see a deserted front of a school outside. There was no one there. But, I guess the army wouldn't come so close to the school. That confused me though—couldn't I just escape? I shook my head and, with Nico, I walked down the street. And there it was. The army.

I was shocked. I expected the army to be this huge, so I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised, but seeing it in person was a different thing. They chose good timing and a good place though; almost no mortals were around. There were about… 10 Laistrygonians, 10 Hydras, 6 Sphinx, and 5 Hellhounds. Also present was Kampe, the Minotaur, Kelli and Tammi the _empousai_, Medusa (which really caught me off guard, because her head should be with my mom), and 2 _Dracanae_—Dragon Women. Thank the gods, Kronos wasn't there. I guess I really didn't expect him to be.

Kelli sneered at us. "Well, I see you are still alive, Percy. How are you? What's going on?" she asked, still smirking. I ignored her small talk, and just kept glaring at her. She grimaced. "Now Percy, be nice. But if you're really not in the mood to talk then…" she shrugged. "I guess we'll kill you and your friend quickly." Kelli looked at us as if we should be _happy_. That was hardly the word.

All this time, while she was blabbering on, I was concentrating. Concentrating hard. I had no intention of fighting them, physically at least. That would be pure suicide. I took a glance a Nico. He seemed to be concentrating hard, too. His eyes were closed. I imagined the sea, all the waves crashing. I imagined water, tons of water. _Father. Please. Help us._ I prayed to my father. I started chanting in Ancient Greek in my head. I willed the water to come from inside me, the very water that was inside my blood and that always would be because of my parentage.

Suddenly, Nico chanted a few words in Ancient Greek. They were so fast for me to hear properly, but I was sure the words _death_ and _monsters_ and _fight_ were included. As soon as he finished chanting, all Hades broke loose.

Monsters exploded from the ground, and as soon as they did, the ground closed up again. I couldn't count how many. It was all too fast. Our army looked smaller than the enemy one, but I knew it was good enough. Or hoped. "Attack them!" Nico snarled, and our army did as they were told.

I hardly paid attention as the fight went on. I was too busy concentrating, on water, on the sea, on huge waves. It was at least 10 minutes before I even thought about the monsters fighting again. I surprised none of them had attacked me, but as I looked up I saw why. Our army was keeping them busy. The enemy army was hardly able to get near us; Nico must have given some specific orders. But there was something else that shocked me. Almost all of our monsters were gone.

The other army still had about 12 or 13 left; we had about 4. A lot could happen in 10 minutes. I gasped. Nico looked slightly dazed as he swayed from side to side.

About 3 Hellhounds lunged at me. They pinned me to the ground as they licked their lips hungrily. I winced, but this time I was able to get the Riptide out of my pocket. I growled and stuck the sword in a Hellhound's chest. He howled in pain, but didn't turn to dust. I jumped up and stuck him in the chest again. This time he turned into thin air, which was strange. The other 2 Hellhounds looked slightly dazed, which was weird. I took that chance and killed both of them. It was strange how easy it was, how much more powerful I felt.

I saw that our army was almost done. The monsters that were left—Kelli, Medusa, Kampe, and a few Hydras—sneered at us and came forward. I stiffened. I concentrated, in that one moment, and forced the water more than I ever had in my life. I felt a painful tug in my gut and I let out a faint scream.

Out of nowhere—or so it seemed—huge waves of water crashed down on the now somewhat _small _army. I could hear cries of pain. I felt dizzy. I felt numb, like all the energy had been drained out of me. My eyelids kept closing briefly. I felt to the ground, wincing with my pain, struggling. I let out a pained scream. I moaned, but it sounded like a whisper.

And then everything went black.

* * *

"Ugh! Stupid Seaweed Brain! What was he _thinking_? He's a complete idiot! He couldn't even fight once without me! I shouldn't have gone!" I heard a voice complain. It sounded like Annabeth's, the very voice I wanted to hear. I heard a door slam.

"Annabeth I'm afraid I have bad news. We checked up on him a few hours ago, and… his heart seemed to be getting much slower. He hasn't moved in weeks. I… I'm afraid he doesn't have much longer. I think he may have used up a bit too much energy" Chiron's voice was filled with sadness. It took me a while to realize what he was saying.

NO! How could they thinking I was dead? I was right here. I was right here and I was _breathing_. It certainly didn't _feel_ like my heart was coming to a stop. I wanted to say that, I wanted to say _something_ but I couldn't find the energy to move even a bit. I could see what Chiron meant about the "bit too much energy" part.

"WHAT?! N-no… No. That's not possible. I won't believe. He can't… he can't just be _gone_. He can't!" Annabeth's voice was filled with pain, and I could tell she was trembling. Then she just started sobbing. "No! Chiron, it's not possible! It can't be… there must be some way to save him, Chiron! Try, please! Please try" Annabeth cried. She was fully crying now. I didn't know where in the Big House—and I assumed we were there—she was sitting or standing, but suddenly I felt a head on my shoulder. I felt tears. I instantly knew it was Annabeth. I wanted to comfort her, to reach out to her, but again, I just couldn't find the energy.

"I'm sorry, child. He is gone." Chiron himself sounded like he was close to tears, which surprised me. Annabeth just kept sobbing. I heard the door slam, and I knew Chiron was gone.

I heard a different voice this time. "Why are you crying so much, Annabeth?" It was Rachel. _She_ certainly didn't sound grieved, which hurt me.

I heard a growling sound; I realized it was Annabeth. Her head wasn't on my shoulder anymore. "You… you… UGH! I can't believe you, Mortal Girl! You don't even care about Percy, do you? You don't care if he died! Look at you! You look as if nothing has happened! You just don't care!" Annabeth yelled furiously. I could hear the acid in her voice. I managed to open my eyes, just a bit, but enough to see Rachel glare at her with pure hatred. That really surprised me, because Rachel had never gotten angry at Annabeth, even when Annabeth was so rude to her.

"Is that what you think?! How can you even think—how can you even _imagine_ that? He's just as _much_ as a _friend_ to me as he is to you! Do you honestly think I don't care?! Well you are _wrong_" Rachel hissed.

"Oh, really?" Annabeth asked sarcastically. "Then can you please tell me how I would be _right_?!" I wanted to tell them to stop, but I couldn't find my voice.

I heard a bleat—a sound that could only belong to my favorite satyr, Grover. "Guys, please! Don't start _that! _Not again!" He sounded irritated, but not sad. "Look, guys he's not dead. I know it. He can't be. Besides, if he were, Nico would come and tell us immediately."

NICO! I had forgotten about him. What happened? Had he died in the fight? No. Grover said he would tell them if I was dead, which obviously meant he was alive. I was suddenly aware of a throbbing in my head and I let out a groan. Energy was coming back to me. I heard a gasp.

"Guys? I… I think he's regaining consciousness!" Grover said sounding shocked and relieved at the same time. Instantly, Annabeth was at my side. I could feel it. "Percy! Percy, can you hear me? Say something!" she cried. I groaned again, louder this life. There was new energy in me.

"Annabeth…" I croaked. I opened my eyes and I saw her, looking at me with eyes puffy and red. She looked terrible, even worse than the time I came back from Calypso's island. She stared at me with wide eyes. She looked like she was in a daze. "Annabeth…" I said again. My voice was barely a whisper. She seemed to come back to earth.

"Percy?" She said, and it sounded like she was asking me if I was really alive, or if she was dreaming. Weird. I expected _that_ to be a _nightmare_ to her. I didn't say anything. Suddenly her lip formed into a hard line, and she stiffened. She glared at me. It looked like she was about to punch me or something, but I knew when it was like that she was usually about to hug me. I was right.

She was still glaring at me, but suddenly she wrapped her arms around my neck, which was kind of awkward with me on the bed, and started crying again; they were tears of joy this time. She didn't pull away for about 5 minutes. When she finally did, she was glowering at me again. Rachel snickered.

And, just as I suspected, Annabeth did punch me. It hurt, but not just physically. She stomped her foot. "You _idiot!_" she hissed. "What were you thinking? 'Oh we're fine, Annabeth. Me and Nico can handle this! You just take Rachel and don't worry'" She said in a bad imitation of me. "Don't worry my _foot!_ What in Hades were you thinking, Seaweed Brain?! You could have died! Do you have _any idea_ how worried I was? Do you know how much I cried?!" She turned red as she said that, and then looked down, as if she had said too much. I just stared at her, stunned.

"Annabeth, I… I'm fine, okay? You didn't have any reason to worry" I lied to her feebly, my voice soft.

"Ugh!" Annabeth stomped her foot and stormed out of the room. I sighed. Rachel smirked and came over where I was.

"You okay, Percy? I knew you weren't dead" she said, smiling, but her eyes were red and I could see dried up tears. She touched my face.

"I'm fine Rachel" I said. She nodded awkwardly.

"I'll go tell Chiron" she murmured and walked out of the room. That left Grover and me. He came up to me and started talking.

"Oh, Percy! I'm glad you're okay. I didn't believe that you were dead, not once. You're alright, right? Right?" he said, an edge to his voice. I nodded.

"I'm fine, G-man. How long have I been out? Where's Nico?" I asked. I was sure I had missed _a lot_.

Grover sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "Um… Percy, you've been out for quite a while. About three weeks. We were amazed you were still alive and yet you hadn't moved an inch. We all thought you were dead, but I didn't believe it. Nico would tell us, I'm sure he would. And Nico… well, he's staying at camp. You'll meet him later." 3 weeks! Then something hit me. How much time until the summer solstice? My birthday? I tried to get up but just fell back down again. I groaned.

"Percy, get some rest. You're not fully healed yet. Drink some more ambrosia. I'll see you later, okay?" He asked. I nodded, and then I was alone. I sighed and in a few minutes I was unconscious.

**I hope you like the chapter! The next one will probably take longer. Please REVIEW! I won't update until I have at least 5 reviews!**


	4. I Learn About The Sword Of Death

**I know, I know. It took FOREVER to write this chapter, but I have a life. I was busy and school started too. Expect a new chapter every month, or maybe every few weeks. I hope you like it! Read and review!**

Chapter 4: I Learn About The Sword Of Death

Surprisingly, I didn't have any dream. Usually when I was at camp, I had a dream, or _nightmare_ every night. This was a first.

When I woke up, I realized something. I wasn't in the Big House anymore. I looked around faintly, and I knew that I was in my cabin. I sighed. The door opened and I stiffened. I relaxed when I saw it was just Annabeth. She came over to me and gave me some nectar and ambrosia. Her cold expression didn't change. When she was about to leave, I decided it was time to talk.

"Annabeth, listen…" I told her in a voice that was even softer than a whisper. I didn't think she heard me, but when I said that she stopped dead in her tracks and came over to me Her expression was still the same. I sighed. "I'm sorry" I said simply. She knew what I was talking about. Annabeth turned blood red from anger and glared at me.

"SORRY?! For what? 'Sorry' is hardly appropriate right now! What's appropriate is that you get down and _beg_ for my forgiveness! You owe me that much, Percy Jackson" she yelled furiously. That was a bit too much. I didn't owe her anything. She owed _me._ I had saved her; there was no possible way that she could take that army. She would've just died. I flinched at the thought. Suddenly, I was just as mad at her as she was at me.

"_I _don't owe you anything, Annabeth! In fact, I think you owe me. What do I owe you for, anyways? That I _saved_ you?" I asked her.

Annabeth laughed without humor. "Saving me" she muttered. Then she got louder. "As if I care about _that_! What you owe me for is worrying the Hades out of me! What you owe me for is making me cry every night, thinking you were never going to wake up! What you owe me for is forcing me to leave you guys fighting alone and almost dying! I could have helped Percy, you know I could" she cried. I rolled my eyes.

"You couldn't have helped Annabeth" I told her quietly. "The army was… enormous. Rachel" –Annabeth made a face at her name—"wasn't kidding when she said that it was huge. Besides, I lived okay? Isn't that the main thing?" I was surprised at how calm I was. Annabeth's expression softened and I realized I was still lying down. I got up and sat on the bed. Annabeth sat down next to me.

"I guess" she murmured. "But Percy…" – her expression turned to pain—"You have no idea how worried I was. I thought that I… that I had lost you. I couldn't stand that, Percy, I couldn't, I just…" She didn't finish her sentence. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. Unthinkingly, I threw my arms around her neck. It was the only thing I could think of doing to comfort her. I hated it when she cried; it sent little stabs of pain through me, too. Annabeth stiffened at the contact, and then grew more relaxed. She hesitantly put her arms around me, too. It felt strangely good.

Suddenly, her arms still around me, she let out a laugh. It was nice to hear, but it made me curious, too. "What?" I demanded. Annabeth laughed again.

"Nothing, it's just… what brought this on?" she asked, indicating the hug. I blushed bright red. I shrugged as much as I could with my arms around her.

"Your tears" I muttered. Annabeth heard me and smiled. Then she pulled away, her face red. I was sure mine was, too. "Annabeth, I'm fine. You didn't have to worry then, and you don't have to worry now, okay?" I murmured, still blushing. She raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Okay, Seaweed Brain" she agreed. I sighed. Then I remembered something and narrowed my eyes.

"Annabeth? What happened? At the, uh, meeting you went to before the dance?" I asked her. Annabeth froze, and then turned red again, out of anger this time though.

"Oh, um, nothing much. Just, uh, discussing strategies, but none of them worked. They invited me because Athena thought I was the smartest and…" Annabeth shrugged and looked down. I sensed she was telling the truth, but she was hiding something too. She took a glance at me and I knew that she knew that I knew that there was something she wasn't telling me. I raised my eyebrows and waited. She sighed.

"Athena… she said that I have to stay away from you. Well, she didn't exactly say your name, but it was implied when she said 'dirty rotten piece of kelp'" Annabeth explained, her voice soft. I stared at her stunned. I knew Athena didn't like me because I was a son of Poseidon, but I didn't expect her to do anything like that. I glared at no one in particular.

"Well, then" I said stiffly. "I guess you have to follow your mother's orders. It's okay. I don't care." Annabeth looked at me, horrified.

"Percy, no! How can you even think that? I'm not following my mom's orders, okay?" she confirmed. I rolled my eyes.

"She might turn you into an owl" I pointed out. Annabeth looked serious, and hesitated before saying anything.

"I'd rather be turned into an owl than stay away from you because my mom told me to" she said quietly. I looked at her quizzically. Heat rose to Annabeth's cheeks as she realized what she had said. "No! I mean, you know, I'd rather do that than just stay away from my friends and follow my mom's orders" she said, blushing furiously. I nodded, smirking.

"Why does she want you to stay away anyway? Just because I'm a son of Poseidon? How in the world is that my fault? And it's my dad she's rivals with, not me" I told her, getting angrier by the moment. Annabeth nodded.

"I guess that's the reason, but I don't know. I know she hates you, but it doesn't seem like something she would do" she said. I didn't say anything. Annabeth looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "Oh shoot! I'm late for archery practice. I'll see you later okay?" Without waiting for my answer, she ran out the door.

At that moment, Grover came in. He was just the person I wanted to see. A question had come in my mind.

"Grover! How did you not know if I was dead or not? I mean, the empathy link…" I said, my voice fading. About 3 years ago, Grover had created an empathy link between us, so we could read each other's emotions, and see each other in dreams. He would know if I was dead or not. Why would he have to ask Nico? Grover shook his head.

"Percy… I think the empathy link is gone. I tried to see if you were dead, tried reading your emotions, but it didn't work. I don't know how it's gone, but…" he shrugged. "And Nico—he wouldn't tell us _anything_. He would just walk around, muttering to himself. I think he's gone crazy, that boy." Grover looked a hundred percent serious. Well, that was strange. What was wrong with Nico? I thought back a bit.

"Wait… what do you mean it's gone? If you made it, and you didn't remove it, how is it _gone_?" I asked, a little suspicious. Grover turned red.

"Okay, fine. I removed it. But Percy, I didn't want to die. When I did have the empathy link, you didn't even move. I could feel you dying! The best thing would be if I just removed the empathy link" he explained. I thought about it a bit, and nodded. I guess I couldn't blame him. If I could, I probably would have done the same.

"It's okay, G-man" I assured him. Grover smiled and then helped me up.

"Let's go, Percy. There's a meeting at the Big House" he said. I nodded and we walked together to the Big House.

In the meeting, all the cabin counselors were there, and of course, Chiron and Mr. D. However, there was one other unexpected guest. "Percy!" Tyson ran over to me and gave me a bone-crushing hug. Then he looked at me, confused. "Percy is alive?" he asked with tears in his eyes. I laughed.

"Yeah, man. I'm alive and breathing" I assured him.

"Settle down, child. We have much to talk about" Chiron said. At that moment, Nico came blasting through the door and looked at me with wide eyes. "Percy!" he screamed. He was breathing hard. I looked at him, confused. Chiron was as calm as ever.

"Ah, Nico. You are here. Good. Now we can talk about your, ah, plan" Chiron told him. Nico nodded.

"Percy, you know the plan. Have you thought about it?" Nico asked me, glaring. He obviously wanted a yes, but the truth was I didn't think about it at all. I shook my head. "Percy! What is wrong with you? We don't have much time!" He practically screamed. I took a deep breath.

"Hold up here, Nico. What happened after I… er, fainted?" I asked him.

"Fainted? More like almost died" Annabeth muttered under her breath. I glared at her.

"Fine" Nico snapped. "I'll tell you. After you blasted all that water, it basically crushed every single monster. I was weak but I didn't faint. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't. So I came to camp. Annabeth and Rachel were waiting for us there. Now can we please move on?" I nodded. "Okay. So… this is what we have to do. There is only one way to send Kronos back to Tartarus: to stab him with the Deathly Sword" he explained. Everyone except me, Chiron, and Nico looked confused. Mr. D. just looked bored. "Guys, thousands of years ago _that's_ the way Kronos was killed. I… I'm pretty sure that's the only way" he said.

"Where is it though? How do we get it?" Beckendorf asked, looking confused. Nico hesitated.

"I'm not sure yet. It was lost centuries ago" he said, looking sheepish. That's when Annabeth exploded.

"We don't have time for this" Annabeth snapped. "So you think we're going to search the whole United States for this, Nico? Nope. Not enough time, in case you haven't noticed!"

That got Nico angry. "Would you just listen for a second? I have a pretty good idea where it is, which I will explain _later_, okay? Right now… well, for the sword to… um, activate, I guess you'd say, you need a soul of a child of the Big Three. So it either has to be… Percy, Thalia, or me." For once, everyone was speechless. So was I. Nico hadn't told me this. Annabeth looked stunned.

"Nico… is there… a way… to get the soul back?" she whispered, sounding scared. Nico frowned.

"I'm not sure, Annabeth. There _should_ be, but I can't be sure" he said. "We need magic for it, and we would need to seek Hecate, and…" I wasn't even sure Nico was talking to us anymore.

"Magic? What do you mean?" I asked. Nico shook his head.

"You won't understand… if it's possible, only I can do it. It has to do with souls which has to do with death, and only the Children of Death, meaning children of Hades, can do this" he explained. I nodded without asking for any further explanations.

"So what now, Nico? A quest? Who will sacrifice their soul? What will we do" I asked, totally and completely clueless. Nico frowned again.

"Yes. We need a quest to find the sword. You can't be the one to sacrifice your soul Percy, even though before I told you that you should be the one. But, now that I think about it… you can't be the one because you're the one who has to stab him Percy. No one else can do that. And I'm not sure I can be the one, because I'm needed to for the fight here. Besides, if we have to get that soul back from the sword, I need to do it" he confirmed. I got what he was saying.

"Thalia." I said in a flat voice, but my eyes widened. So did Annabeth.

"But… but she's a Hunter! And she has to—" she stuttered, but Nico cut her off.

"We'll just have to ask Artemis to let us borrow her, but keep her immortal, of course. That's the only way we can do this" he said. "And Percy, you will have to lead this quest. This is _your_ prophecy, _your_ quest, and _your_ decision. _Your_ decision will decide the fate of the world."

Well, that made me feel a lot better.

"Go. Go, child. Go and ask the Oracle for guidance. We shall discuss the details later, but first you have to get a prophecy. When you come back, assuming you're still sane, of course, well talk more" Chiron said gravely, his eyes sad. Annabeth looked at me with sympathy and something else… was it… no, it wasn't. I shook my head to clear that thought. I nodded at Chiron and went to seek the prophecy that would decide my fate.

**Did you like it? Suggestions? What do you want in the next chapter?! More Percabeth? Tell me! R&R!**


	5. Quest? No Way!

Quest? No Way!

I took a deep breath as I went to the Oracle. My past experiences weren't so great with it. I hope this experience wouldn't be the same. And there it was… The Oracle- a shriveled up mummy. I sighed. "What must I do to retrieve the sword to defeat the Titan Lord?" I asked. My voice trembled. A green mist came out of the mummy's mouth and then standing in front of me were the people I most cared about- my mom, Poseidon, Grover, Tyson, Annabeth, and even Rachel.

My mom looked at me with fear in my eyes and said,

_Seven must go west to find the sword of death_

Poseidon looked at me with his eyes glowing, and whispered,

_It may or may not be a friend's last breath_

Grover let out a sharp bleat and said,

_A gift's meaning will become clear_

Tyson turned and said flatly,

_What will bring you down is the flaw of fear_

Annabeth's voice came out, shrill and clear,

_As friendship turns into love and complications arise_,

Rachel delivered the last and final line,

_A prophecy will become clear, with or without the prize_

I just sat there and thought over the lines. Despite everything, the one that most interested me was the fifth one. I felt the blush creeping into my cheeks. It shouldn't matter that Annabeth was the one that said this, right? I took a deep breath and ran. Ran until I reached the Big House where everyone was seated, and I took a seat next to Annabeth.

Chiron raised an eyebrow when he saw me. "Well? Let us hear the prophecy" he said. I took another deep breath.

"Well… umm… the first line is… Seven must go west to find the sword of death" I said hesitantly. Chiron indicated me to go on. "It may or may not be a friend's last breath" Everyone tensed at those words. I continued on. "A gift's meaning will become clear. What will bring you down is the flaw of fear" I stopped myself there and turned bright red. I couldn't say the next line. "I… um…" I said, blushing.

Chiron sighed. "Tell us the last two lines Percy" he said.

"I… as… as friendship turns into love and complications arise" I said, red as a tomato now. I felt my eyes automatically turn to Annabeth and I turned even redder, though I didn't even know why. "And… a prophecy will become clear with, or without the prize" I said finally. Chiron nodded.

"The first line is obvious. Seven quest members will go somewhere west, and I believe Nico knows where that somewhere might be. The second line… well… you must be careful Percy. I know it will hurt you greatly to lose one of your friends." I nodded.

"The third line… did you get any gift that the prophecy might be talking about?" Chiron asked me. I nodded.

"Poseidon gave me a sand dollar on my birthday. He said I would know what to use it for when I need it" I confirmed.

"Okay, so we briefly know what four of those lines mean. Now, the fifth line, Percy…" he said, his eyes narrowing. I blushed again. Silena was smirking at me and Annabeth. "Well, I'll be waiting to find that out myself. The last line means the prophecy I got. With or without the prize… I'm assuming that means you'll either choose the Olympians or the Titans. Percy. Please. Make the right choice" Chiron's voice was almost pleading. I gulped.

I mean, I knew now that I would choose the Olympians, but what would happen in the end? No one knew.

"Now Percy, you must choose seven quest members. Who do you wish to take on this quest? Choose wisely, now" he warned. I nodded. I already knew which people I wanted to take.

"I choose… Grover, Tyson, Annabeth, Nico, Rachel—"And that's when Annabeth exploded.

"RACHEL? You want to take _Rachel?_ What's wrong with you Percy? She's a _mortal!_ We need all the strength that we can get and—" And that's when _I_ exploded.

"Annabeth, Rachel is coming. I think you forgot she can see through the Mist. I think you forgot how many times she saved our butts in the last quest" I said, my voice calm but as hard as steel. I couldn't tolerate Annabeth's hate for Rachel anymore. Annabeth glared at me but shrank in her seat and didn't say anything else. I looked over to where Rachel was sitting and smiled. I don't know why. It seemed like what I was supposed to do. "We will also need Thalia, of course. Nico, you mind asking Artemis if we can borrow Thalia?" I continued. Nico nodded confidently. "And me. That's seven" I said.

"Alright then. Everyone will leave tomorrow at noon" Chiron announced.

Everyone nodded and sighed in relief, and then we left. Rachel came up to me and smiled. Annabeth passed me without saying a word. I left to go to my cabin.

**Pause story for a sec (: From here, in this chapter, it's Percabeth! Have funs Percabeth fans! I tried to make it long and detailed with a lot of conversation. Hope you like it!**

I couldn't sleep at all, no matter how much I tried, so, naturally, I went down to the beach. I always felt better there. I sat down and put my legs in the water and the cool breeze hit me. I instantly felt better.

I had been there for about half an hour when I heard a slight movement behind me. I looked behind me and there she was- Annabeth. She walked up to me timidly and sat down beside me. I turned my head back to the sea and didn't say anything. I glanced at her to see if she was still annoyed and angry, but her expression was just apologetic and sad.

She sighed. "I'm sorry Percy. I'm really so—" I cut her off.

"It's okay" I said, probably not in a very convincing tone. When she looked at me with a hurt expression, I sighed. "No. Seriously. It's… it's okay" I said, smiling. Annabeth smiled back at me.

"Can't sleep?" she asked. I nodded sheepishly.

"You?" I wondered.

"Can't sleep. Been thinking about—" she stopped herself abruptly. I wondered why. I raised my eyebrow. "Been thinking about… you know. Your, um, prophecy" she said. I nodded. I had a feeling I knew which line she was thinking about. She looked at me with a hesitant look in her eyes. She took a deep breath and laid her head on my shoulder. I smiled.

For a while, we just sat there. Finally, Annabeth said something. "Seaweed Brain, how do you do it? I mean, really?" she asked.

"Do what?" I asked, confused.

"Just… just everything, Perc y! Percy, you have the world's fate on your hands! How do you deal with it- with everything! Everything- every, just, bad thing, is happening right now, and you seem… I don't know, you seem happy! What _is _this? Maybe I don't know what you're really going through, how much pain you're really in, but you don't show it at all! Do I even know you at all? It sure doesn't feel like it! Aren't… aren't you my friend, Seaweed Brain?" she asked, tears collecting in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

I snorted. "Slow down, Wise Girl. One question at a time" I snapped. Annabeth smacked my head and glared at me.

"I'm serious, Seaweed Brain! Why can't you be, for once?" she retorted. I laughed.

"Okay, okay." Then I got serious. "Of course I'm your friend Annabeth. Of course you know me- you're the one who knows me the best" I said quietly.

"Then why doesn't it feel like it?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe you don't see yourself clearly. Or how much I trust you, Annabeth" I pointed out.

"Then tell me" she insisted. "Tell me everything. If you trust me, prove it." I shook my head.

"Not everything" I protested. "Most of it, though." She sighed and indicated for me to go on. "I… I _am_ happy Annabeth. And for now, at least, there's nothing that can take that away."

"Why?" she asked. "Why are you so _happy_, what with what's going on right now, Percy? It doesn't make sense. I don't understand."

"A lot of things make me happy, Annabeth. My family makes me happy, the fact that they're there. And most of all… my friends. All of them. I'll always have them, and that's where all of my happiness comes from" I said. A smile crept onto Annabeth's face.

"Really? Well. Do you mind telling me who those friends are?" she asked. I nodded and grinned.

"Rachel, Grover, Tyson…" I stopped there. "And other people" I said. Annabeth took her head off my shoulder and looked at the sand on the ground.

"Um… are you sure you're not forgetting someone?" she mumbled.

"I said 'and other people'" I reminded her.

"Yeah" she agreed quietly, her voice sounding sad. I smirked.  
"Oh yeah! And you" I said, smiling. She smacked me on my head.

"Stop that!" she said, laughing along with me.

"But, seriously Annabeth. You make me happy. Being with you makes me happy" I said with confidence. Inside my heart was beating faster and faster. A blush appeared on Annabeth's cheeks.

"You make me happy too, Seaweed Brain. But I don't have the world on my shoulders" she reminded me. I grinned again.

"You did once, you know" I said. Annabeth shook her head.

"No, I didn't. That was just the sky" she pointed out. I shrugged. Annabeth laid her head on my shoulder again. I looked at her and hesitantly put my arm around her. She smiled as if to say _it's okay_. After a few minutes, her head still on my shoulder, my arms still wrapped around her, a tear rolled down Annabeth's cheek before she could stop it. I looked at her quizzically.

"Annabeth… what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing" she said quickly. "I'm just, um, sleepy." She was a horrible liar and she knew it. I sighed and waited. "I was thinking about… about…" another tear rolled down her cheek, and another, and another. Whenever she had this reaction, I knew exactly who she was thinking about.

"About Luke" I finished, my voice flat. She nodded timidly. Then she started sobbing. Annabeth's head was buried in my shoulder, her tears staining my shirt. I started to get up but she didn't let me.

"Percy, listen—" she started.

"No! Luke betrayed you Annabeth! How can you—" I choked out with rage, but she cut me off.

"Please" she pleaded weakly. "Don't. I don't want to talk about this."

"Fine. Goodnight" I waved and ran to my cabin without taking a second look back.


	6. More Talk & Hunters

**This is a really short chapter, but I figured I'd add it anyway xD And thanks for the reviews! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 6: More Talk And Hunters

The sound of the alarm clock woke me up in the morning. That, and Tyson bellowing my name. "PERCY!! Wake up! We're going on the quest!" Tyson yelled. I groaned and got out of bed.

Chiron had told us that we should meet at the pine tree at noon. It was only eight now. I groaned again and got ready.

The quest members were all having lunch earlier (we skipped breakfast) so we were all at the dining pavilion by about ten. I wasn't even hungry. As soon as I saw Annabeth, my heart skipped a beat. She walked up to and smiled but it was half-hearted. "Hey Seaweed Brain" she said, obviously trying to make peace. I ignored her, not meeting her eyes. She sighed.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Percy. Can we talk about this?" she pleaded. I scowled.

" I thought you didn't want to talk about this" I said curtly. She waited. I sighed. "Over lunch? Now?" Annabeth shrugged.

"It's not like regular lunch; we don't have to site by cabin" she declared. We sat down on the Poseidon table. I expected everyone else to sit there too, but Rachel, Tyson, and Grover sat at the Dionysus table. Nico was finding the Hunters. I narrowed my eyebrows, confused, but I let it go. I didn't eat any food. I wasn't hungry.

Annabeth started the conversation. "Percy, listen to me. What would you have done? What would you have done if Luke was me?" she asked. I had no answer to that. The truth was, I didn't know. I just stared at her. She stared at me, waiting.

"I would've killed you if I had the chance" I said flatly. An expression of hurt flashed across Annabeth's face then disappeared, being replaced by pain. "Wait" I told her. "I never said it would be easy. I would be hurt. And feeling betrayed. But, if killing you was the answer to this mess, then I would have to. Besides, Annabeth would be gone, just like the Luke you know is gone now. She would be replaced by an evil version of her. I wouldn't have anything left for her."

"And what do you have for her now?" Annabeth asked.

"Love" I said. Annabeth blushed. "I mean as a friend" I said quickly, becoming red as I realized there could be double meaning in that. "You're my best friend Annabeth. I couldn't stand losing you."  
"That's exactly how I feel about Luke, Percy. But, I know that the Luke I know _is_ in there somewhere. He's not dead. And I will bring him back. I have to, I—" I didn't let her finish.

"He's evil, Annabeth. End of story. And he's _dead._ Gone. He's not coming back. And he didn't care about you! How many times has he tried to kill you so far? How many times has he tried to kill _Thalia?_ Would you try to kill me? Would you try to kill your other friends? He wasn't even brainwashed. He hated the gods; he sided with the Titans. Okay. Fine. But, would he kill you and Thalia and even Grover, his best friends, for that? Yes, he would, and he almost did. How could he? I would never do that, even if I hated the gods. You would never do that, and you know it, Annabeth. You know he's bad and he's evil. And you know that he's dead" I said.

For once, Annabeth was speechless. After ten seconds, she recovered herself and her lips smashed into a hard line. "Percy… Jackson" she choked out, her voice filled with so much rage that it was trembling, "I'm never speaking to you _again!_" Tears—tears of rage—tumbled from her eyes and down her cheek. Okay, I admit my words were harsh, but I didn't expect them to have such a strong affect on her. She banged her fist on the table and ran out the door, mumbling something like, "I'm not hungry, getting ready" to Chiron as she flew out. I sighed.  
Everyone was staring at me. Chiron raised an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything. I didn't eat anything. When everyone was done, we went to the pine tree. Annabeth came running down too, but didn't take a second glance at me. Her eyes were red. And then I saw them—I saw the Hunters.

I hadn't seen them in about two years. Most of them looked the same. But what made my mouth drop open was Thalia. Or that's who I thought it was. But… no. That could _not_ be Thalia. I looked at Annabeth and her mouth was hanging open, too. Thalia looked completely different. Her hair was tied into a braid. Her skin glowed like she had been showering in liquid moonlight, and there was no punk make-up on her face. She looked like a completely different person. Lady Artemis was in front of everyone of course, and Thalia was by her side. "Th-Thalia?" I stuttered, my voice disbelieving. Thalia smiled wryly.

"Hey, Percy. Couldn't recognize me huh?" she asked, grinning now. I nodded. Artemis cleared her throat.

"Hello, Artemis" Chiron greeted. "I assume that Nico has told you our reason for calling you here?" Artemis nodded. "Good. No need and no time either, for explaining."

"Yes. I will let you borrow Thalia for the quest, and worry not, she will stay immortal. She has been a great lieutenant. Please take care of her" Artemis announced. Thalia smiled at Artemis and walked over to where we were standing.

"But…" Artemis started. "I would like to ask something first." Chiron indicated for her to go ahead. Artemis's eyes turned to Annabeth. "Annabeth. I am asking you to join the Hunt."

**Cliff hanger! Lol. Please read and REVIEW! I haven't been getting that many review lately, please, please, please review!**


	7. I Want To Strangle The Hunters

**Super sorry for the lack of updates! This is another short chapter. I really need to get a move on with this story- it's been seven chapters and I haven't even started the quest. Well, hope you like it!**

Chapter 7: I Want To Strangle The Hunters

I stood there, my mouth hanging open as I took in what Artemis had just said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I couldn't comprehend anything. Annabeth's face was pale and she was frozen.

"Of course" Artemis continued quickly, "You don't have to. But, this is your only chance. If you chose not to become a Hunter now, you won't get a second chance."

"I…I…I don't…" Annabeth stuttered, trailing off. She took a deep breath. "I'll need to think about it." I looked at Annabeth in disbelief. Need to _think about it_? Was she crazy? So she _might_ leave me here and go off with the Hunters? Artemis nodded.

"Yes. I understand this is a hard decision. Make sure to make the right choice. Also, you do not have more than an hour. That may not be that much, but you need to either come with us or get started to this quest" Artemis said.

So everyone left to go to their cabins and so did Annabeth. The hunters just stayed there. I followed Annabeth. I knocked on her cabin and she opened the door. I came in without saying anything.

"Percy… I need to think. Can we talk later?" she pleaded. She seemed to have forgotten about what happened at lunch. I set my jaw tight.

"I don't think we can. What are you thinking Annabeth? What do you mean you need to think about it? So you just _might_ join the Hunters and leave me here—" I yelled, sounding like I was choking. In a way, I was. I was cut off by Annabeth.

"Of course not, Percy! I don't know, okay? Maybe… maybe after the war. Or Maybe—" she was cut off by me.

"Why do you want to become a Hunter anyway? So, after the war you'll just… you'll just go off?"

Annabeth looked away. "Percy, I… It's complicated. Please. Let me think. You don't know how hard this is for me."

"I don't think it's hard. To me, it sounds like you already made your decision" I snapped. Annabeth didn't say anything. My voice became softer. "Annabeth… no. You can't do this." I said, my voice sounding like I was begging.

"I… I think I have to, Seaweed Brain. You don't understand. I'm sorry. Let me think—I need to think. Please."

"Annabeth… why?" I asked, afraid to know the answer. "Why do you want to do this?" Annabeth didn't say anything. "You can tell me anything" I assured her. She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"I can't, Seaweed Brain. Look, just let me think. I'll be at the tree in an hour" she said, and managed a smile. I didn't smile back. I just glared at her and stormed out of her cabin.

The Hunters and all the quest members plus Chiron were by the tree, talking in hushed voices. Chiron gave me a look and indicated me to walk over there. I just shook my head and ran towards my cabin. As always, there was a sea breeze and I immediately felt better. I sat on my bed and tried not to think, but that was impossible.

Was it possible? Would Annabeth really join the Hunters? I wouldn't, _couldn't_ live with that. Would she really just leave me? Why would she want to join? Was it because of Luke or something? No. That couldn't be it. That would be stupid. It's not like all men are like that. Did she just need a break from everything? I would let her do that if that meant she wasn't going to join the Hunters. I would let her stay instead of come on this quest. Anything. Just not the Hunters. That was not an option.

I waited and waited and thought and thought. Finally, Annabeth came into my cabin, her face tear-stained.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain" Annabeth murmured softly. I followed her without a word. Everyone was waiting there for us. Artemis smiled. I gulped, my face a sickly shade of green.

"Annabeth? What do you choose?" Artemis asked. Annabeth's face turned ashen. I hoped she wasn't going to puke, especially when I was right next to her. Annabeth looked at me, her lips trembling as if she was going to cry any minute. I looked at her desperately, trying to say _don't do this_ with my eyes. Annabeth looked away.

"I… I…" she took a deep breath. "I chose to join the Hunters." My eyes widened and my face felt blood red. My lips smashed into a hard line.

"NO!" I exploded, then blushed as I realized my sudden outburst. "Annabeth…" I cried out desperately. "You can't. Please." Thalia looked troubled too, and so did everyone else.

"Annabeth? Do you really…" Thalia trailed off. Annabeth nodded with looking at her.

"Annabeth, please reconsider. You will be leaving your friends behind at a most important time, especially Percy! This is not a wise choice Annabeth. You should know that" Chiron lectured her, his voice grave. Annabeth was as still as a statue.

Thalia was thoughtful for a moment, and then it seemed as if something just occurred to her. "Come with me Annabeth" Thalia said, glaring at her as to say _or else_. Annabeth sighed and they both walked away from us, far enough so that none of could hear. I didn't try to find out what the conversation was about. I didn't care. All I wanted was for Annabeth not to join the Hunters. After about ten minutes, they were back. Annabeth's cheeks were tear-stained.

"I changed my mind" she mumbled. "I… I don't want to join the Hunters. I'm sorry." I couldn't help but smile at her words. But then I noticed that she didn't seem so happy. Was she sacrificing what she wanted because of me? I wouldn't allow that.

Artemis nodded, her face disappointed. She shrugged. "If that's what you really want. Well, we must be going. Keep Thalia safe!" Artemis said. And then, the Hunters were gone. I sighed in relief and walked up to Annabeth, smiling.

"Hope you won't regret this" I said. Annabeth managed a smile, but it did not touch her eyes.

"I won't" she said, but for some reason I wasn't convinced. I looked around and the only people left were Grover, Tyson, Annabeth, Nico, Rachel, Thalia, Chiron, and Mr. D. Everyone was looking at me. I narrowed my eyebrows.

"Okay, then. Let's get started on the quest" I said with confidence.

**Hope you liked it! Please, guys, tell me what you want in this story! I really need to know, I'm so confused. Also, the next chapter won't be up for a long time, ok, but your reviews might make it quicker ;) So review, review, review! **


	8. Author's Note PLEASE READ!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE; PLEASE READ**

Gosh, I know I haven't updated in FOREVER… almost, what 3-4 months? I've been busy and lazy… I'd just completely forgotten about the story. I don't even know if I'm going to continue it, I don't even know how to go on from here… -sigh- I'm sorry, but I will TRY to work on it, if I can think of anything. BUT, in the meanwhile don't send me rude messages as to why I'm not updating, I get it. Seriously, I have a life. If I update, well yay, but if not deal with it.


	9. A Very Interesting Bus Ride

**So finally, I updated! Happy everyone? I really am sorry for not updating. So, I worked on this for quite some time, and came up with this. It's not my best work, I know, but I tried didn't I? Not **_**as much**_** Percabeth this time (but it's still there), and I tried to make the characters more like themselves. Your fierce notes about how I'm a great author inspired me (lol). So, ENJOY!**

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Chapter 8: A Very Interesting Bus Ride

"Where do we go, Nico?" I asked. We were all in the bus, but we didn't even know where we were going.

"Yeah, tell us what's going on" Annabeth demanded. Nico nodded.

"I will, while we're on the bus" he said. At that moment, the bus started moving. I was sitting next to Rachel, and Annabeth next to Nico. The rest of the quest members were sitting behind us. I indicated Nico to go on. "Okay guys… we're going to L.A. Kind of obvious? That is _probably_ where we will find the sword. I talked to Zeus, and that is where he had stabbed him. Of course, this bus won't take us that far. There are a few hours until the airport. We'll take an airplane from there" he confirmed.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! Are you forgetting who's son I am? Who's the Lord of the Sky, Nico?!" I cried out. I couldn't believe he forgot. Nico rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry Percy, I talked to Zeus. He won't blast you out of the sky. But, he can't resist making the ride a little, uh, _rough_for you." I raised my eyebrows. "Rough? Meaning…" I said. Nico shook his head. "You don't want to know. But, you won't die or something… that's the bright side!" He said cheerfully. Easy for him to say. He didn't have the King of the Gods as his enemy. I sighed and closed my eyes. If Zeus wouldn't kill me, an airplane was the safest way to travel. I don't know how monsters could get in the sky. Of course, as always, I didn't know how incredibly wrong I was.

"Don't sleep Percy! We have to discuss who… umm, who will give up… his… or her… soul for the sword. I've explained everything to Thalia as well. Let's talk" he decided. I opened my eyes and shook my head.

"You decide Nico. I can't be the one to do it, because I'm probably, definitely, The One. The One who will decide Olympus's fate… you're too young, and Thalia will never turn sixteen. And we need you to retrieve the soul back, if it's possible, and we need you in the fight and for information and well… that leaves us with Thalia." Thalia's face was ashen.

"Are you sure Percy? Don't we need Thalia for something too?" Annabeth asked.

"Nothing I can think of" I told her. Nico agreed with me. "There has to be some other way! What-what if Thalia never comes back? Nico, we can't lose her again. There has to be some other way, Nico, there has to… I can't lose one of my friends again! And, I bet it will be my fault again!" Grover sobbed. Thalia glared at all of us.  
"GUYS! It's my life you're talking about, my soul and I can't even say anything? Look, I'll do it, okay? If you're sure it has to be me. But Nico, please try to get me back. Please. And GROVER. SHUT UP! It was never your fault before and it's not going to be this time either… it's no one's fault, okay? Why can't you just accept that?" Thalia screamed in frustration. All of us were surprised by her outburst.

Grover breathed in her words and said quietly, "I guess if you were that mad, it _was_ my fault wasn't it?" Thalia shot him a Death Glare. "UGH!" She threw her hands in frustration and walked off, sitting alone in the last seat in the back.

"Uh, okay. So I guess we all have decided on Thalia?" Nico asked. Everyone nodded except Grover and Annabeth.

"Nico, I'm only going to agree if you promise you can get her back." Annabeth whispered. Grover nodded, agreeing with her. Nico glowered at her. "Well, she's doing it with or without your permission, Annabeth. You too, Grover. I said I would try, didn't I? I'll try my hardest. But I can't guarantee anything. It's a 50/50 chance. I'm not going to say anything more than that about bringing her back, so just stop!" he yelled. Annabeth's face became kinder. I could tell she felt sorry for him.

"Fine, Nico. Just try your hardest. Please" she murmured. Nico nodded.

"He's right though, Annabeth. Thalia is my friend too. It would be horrible for her to die, but… we have to" I insisted. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain! I said fine, didn't I?" she snapped. "Right, Ms. Grumpy" I muttered. Annabeth glared at me, and looked like she was about to get up and slap me but restrained herself. She flipped her hair back and glowered out the window. I smirked.

"Okay, uh, well I guess you guys should sleep for some time… we'll talk more later, okay, GOOD NIGHT" Nico said, obviously sleepy and annoyed. I sighed and closed my eyes.

About an hour later, my eyes flew open and I was surprised to find Nico next to me. Rachel was standing next to Annabeth and asked her quietly, "Hey, uh, Annabeth? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Annabeth nodded, looking confused. They both walked a few seats back. Crap. Now I couldn't hear them. They were talking in hushed tones. I studied Annabeth's expressions. Rachel supposedly asked her a question and Annabeth's face turned red from embarrassment. She stuttered a few words. Rachel raised her eyebrows and Annabeth's face got redder. She shook her head and looked out the window. Rachel forced Annabeth to look at her, and Annabeth glared at her. Rachel's tone got softer and kinder, as if she was trying to persuade Annabeth to tell her something. Annabeth sighed but didn't say anything. They kept talking and Annabeth seemed to be getting angry. Finally, Annabeth exploded.

"I don't, okay? I don't! It's not like that with him! Just accept it! Why do you keep trying to make me say it when it's NOT TRUE?" Annabeth exclaimed.

"You do, Annabeth, just admit it! I know you do. And you know what, it IS true!" Rachel yelled back.

"Ugh! It's not! I DON'T LIKE—" Then they both seemed to realize I was looking at them and listening, and they both glared at me. Annabeth took a deep breath and sat next to Thalia in the back. Rachel woke Nico up and sat next to me.

"What in the world was that about?" I asked her. Rachel sighed and raised her eyebrows.

"You really don't know?" she asked, exasperated. "Uhh… no" I said. "I tried to explain this to you last time too! On our last quest… you are really blind Percy, like all boys" Rachel snapped and closed her eyes. I shook her.

"Oh, come on! Tell me! Please…" I pleaded. Rachel sighed again. "I'll… I'll give you a hint. What were Annabeth's last words?" She asked. I thought for a minute.

"Umm… 'I don't like'?" I answered doubtfully. Rachel nodded. "Right. And what could those words mean?" She asked, smiling now. I thought about it for some time. "I don't know. I can't think of anything" I said, shaking my head.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked. I nodded. "UGH. You really are blind. Think about it for some time… hopefully you'll come up with something."

"Were you talking about… a person?" I asked. Rachel nodded. "Who? Who were you talking about?"

"I won't tell you. No more hints. Figure it out for yourself" She snapped and went to sit next to Nico. I was sitting alone for another 30 minutes. Then Annabeth came next to me.

"Thalia's rants are giving me a headache" she murmured.

"Annabeth, what was your fight with Rachel about?" Annabeth blushed. "Nothing" she muttered. I sighed. "And I'm guessing you're not going to say anything more?" I asked. Annabeth didn't say anything. I should've figured. The bus stopped.

My eyebrows narrowed. "What's wrong? Why did the bus stop?" I asked.

Argus was driving and he shrugged. "An old woman was waving for us to stop."

"But this is a private bus! And why would some random old woman want to come onto this bus? I don't think we should stop…" I said. But no one was listening to me. The door opened and the woman came on, and everyone was staring intently at her.

"Hello dears" she said in a croaky, half-cracked voice. "I was, uh, wondering if I could attend this bus. I really have no other way to get to the airport. It would be really kind of you to let me ride this bus."

"Wait… how do you know we're going to the airport?" I asked suspiciously. The woman shot me a glare. I then realized Rachel was sleeping. I whispered to Nico to wake Rachel up. Nico shook her and her eyes flew open.

"What?" she asked, annoyed. Nico pointed to the woman and Rachel's eyes went wide and she started breathing hard. "What? Rachel, is she a monster?" I asked urgently. Rachel nodded nervously, looking floundered.

The woman smirked. "Yes, yes. Your friend has very good eyes, Perseus Jackson. A little _too_ good, if you ask me. But that matters not in this situation… you all shall die in a few moments anyway!" she croaked. And then she transformed into her true self. Tyson trembled in fear. It all made sense. It was Kampe, with a new form. Kampe laughed and then, she attacked.

She went straight for me. I took out the Riptide and uncapped it, and it turned into a full length sword. But who was I kidding? I can't fight that thing! I instead put my sword in her foot and jumped over.

"RUN!" I screamed and everyone bolted.

"You can't get away from me!" Kampe rasped. After I saw what was waiting for us outside, I almost wished I would have taken my chances with Kampe.

**OKAY. –sigh- I don't know when I'll update again. But, I've started getting into the story again, so hopefully it'll be faster than this chapter was! Anyways, review, review, and REVIEW!**


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